Marinated Cashews
Spicy Roasted Peanuts
Quick and Easy Fried Melon
Candied Ginger
Szechwan Peppered Fruit
Glazed Bananas
Almond-Flavored Egg Cake
New Year's Sticky Cake
Banana Fritters
Sweet Orange Tea
Yields 30–35
cookies Delicately flavored with a hint of almond, these cookies make a satisfying light afternoon snack or finale to a dim sum brunch.
Almond Cookies
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup margarine or butter, as preferred
½ cup shortening
¾ cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
¼ pound whole, blanched almonds (1 for each cookie)
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add the eggs and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add to the flour mixture, stirring.
Knead the dough into a roll or log. If you find 1 long roll too difficult to work with, split the dough into 2 equal pieces.
Cut the dough into 30–35 pieces. (If desired, lightly score the dough before cutting to get an idea of the correct size.) Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie tray, approximately 2 inches apart. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and press down lightly.
Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg before baking. Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.
Fortune Cookie Origins
Although a Chinese restaurant meal wouldn't seem complete without them, the fortune cookie is an American creation. Restaurant chefs in both Los Angeles and San Francisco lay claim to having invented the popular baked cookie containing a special message. Today, fortune cookies are catching on in China as well.
Egg Custard Tarts
2 cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
cup lard
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons hot water
2 large eggs
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
Preheat oven to 300°F.
To make the dough: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Cut in the lard, and then use your fingers to mix in. When it is mealy and has the consistency of breadcrumbs, add the vanilla extract and hot water and mix together to form a dough. Add another tablespoon of water if necessary. Cut the dough into thirds.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough out until it is inch thick. Cut 6 circles that are each 3 inches in diameter, so that you have a total of 18 circles.
Place the circles into greased tart pans or muffin tins, carefully shaping the sides so that they reach the rim.
To make the egg custard filling: Lightly beat the eggs, and stir in the evaporated milk, milk, and sugar. Add up to 2 tablespoons of the custard into each tart shell, so that it nicely fills the shell but does not overflow.
Bake at 300°F for about 25 minutes or until the custard is cooked through and a knife stuck in the middle comes out clean.
Yields 18 tarts
Egg tarts are a popular dim sum treat. Make sure that the tart pans are well greased so that the pastry does not stick.
Serves 4–6
Colorful fresh fruits like strawberries or peaches make a nice contrast to the almond gelatin in this elegant, easy-to-make dessert.
Almond Fruit Gelatin
1½ packages Knox unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup fresh fruit slices
Pour the gelatin over the cold water and wait about 3 minutes for it to soften.
In a separate bowl, add the sugar to the boiling water, stirring to dissolve. Add the evaporated milk to the sugar and water mixture. Wait a few minutes for the mixture to cool slightly and stir in the almond extract.
Add the evaporated milk mixture to the gelatin and water. Stir well and pour into a shallow pan or a serving mold. Chill until firm.
Cut into diamond shapes and place on a serving tray. Garnish with the fresh fruit slices.
Aromatic Almonds
Cooks have been exploiting almond's rich flavor since biblical times. In China of days past, peddlers traveled from door to door selling almond tea, a sweet concoction made with almonds ground into a paste. Today, almonds are featured in desserts and some restaurant dishes.
Mango Pudding
2 cups canned mango pieces
½ cup boiling water
2 packages Knox unflavored gelatin
¾ cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup syrup from the canned mango
In a food processor, purée the mango pieces. Reserve the syrup and set aside.
In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the gelatin and stir for about 2 minutes until it is dissolved.
In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, evaporated milk, and mango syrup to a boil, stirring. Remove from the heat and add the puréed mango. Add to the bowl of gelatin, stirring.
Pour the mixture into a dish or individual serving bowls. Chill until set.
Serves 6
The delicate flavor of Mango Pudding sets it apart from thicker, heavier puddings. Traditionally, agar-agar would have been used in place of gelatin crystals.
Almond Float
Almond Fruit Gelatin (page 262)
2 cups water
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract Canned pineapple and mandarin orange slices
To make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, add 2 cups of water and ½ cup brown sugar. Heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.When the sugar is dissolved, cool. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract and chill.
When ready to serve, cut the almond gelatin into ½-inch cubes and place in a large serving bowl. Cover with the chilled sugar water. Add mandarin and pineapple slices along with as much of the canned syrup as desired. Add enough so that the almond gelatin “floats” in the liquid.
Serves 6
For a more tropical flavor, substitute canned lychees and jackfruit for the mandarin orange and pineapple slices.
Serves 4
Served warm, this mildly spiced treat is very soothing if you have a cough or a sore throat.
Poached Asian Pears
1½ cups cranberry juice
3 cups water
2 slices ginger
¾ tablespoon pumpkin spice
4 Asian pears, cored and halved
In a large pot, add the cranberry juice, water, and ginger slices. Add the pumpkin pie spice, placing in a cheesecloth bag if desired. Bring to a boil.
Add the pears. Simmer, turning occasionally, until they are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork (depending on the firmness of the pear, this can take 30–35 minutes). Serve warm.
Serves 4
For an extra treat, add a dollop of plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream before serving.
Poached Pears with Lemon
3 cups water
1½ cups cranberry juice
¾ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 Asian pears, cored and halved
In a large pot, bring all the ingredients except the pears to a boil.
Add the pears. Simmer, turning occasionally until they are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and place in individual serving dishes.
Continue to simmer the syrup until it thickens and lightly coats the back of
a spoon. Pour the sauce over the pears. Serve warm or chilled.
Steamed Apples
4 apples
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1½ tablespoons raisins
Slice off the top of each apple and set aside to serve as the lid. Core the apples.
Mix together the honey, cinnamon, and raisins. Spoon a quarter of the mixture into each apple and replace the lids.
Steam the apples until they are soft but not mushy. Serve warm.
Steamed Fruit
When steaming fruit, it's important to remove the fruit from the pot immediately, so that it doesn't continue cooking in the hot liquid and become mushy.
Serves 4
This is a perfect treat for cold winter days, providing a healthy alternative to snack foods.
Sweet Baked Pineapple and Banana
1 cup canned pineapple chunks
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 bananas, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons untoasted sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Drain the can of pineapple chunks, reserving 2 tablespoons juice.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the pineapple juice and rice wine.
Lay out the bananas and pineapple chunks on a glass baking dish. Spread the brown sugar mixture over. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bananas are tender but not mushy (the pineapple will retain its texture). Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Serves 4
Children love this sweet treat. For an added touch, serve with a tropical fruit–flavored ice cream.
Yields about ½ cup
Watch the oil temperature in the wok — if it gets too high, the walnuts will turn black before the sugar has a chance to melt.
Sweetened Walnuts
½ cup chopped walnut pieces
¼ cup sugar
3 cups oil for deep-frying
Blanch the walnut pieces in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove their bitter flavor.
Spread the sugar out on a piece of waxed paper. Roll the walnuts in the sugar. Spread out on a tray and leave overnight to dry.
Heat oil to 275°F. When oil is hot, add the walnuts. Deep-fry until they turn golden brown. Remove and drain. Cool and store in a sealed container.
Serves 4
The world's first sweetener, honey has been used in China since ancient times. When sugarcane was introduced, the Chinese originally called it “stone honey.”
Steamed Fruit with a Surprise
4 pears
2 tablespoons honey
4 Chinese honey dates
Slice off the top of each pear and set aside. Core the pear from the top, being careful not to go through to the bottom.
Spoon ½ tablespoon honey into each pear. Add a Chinese honey date. Replace the lid. Steam until tender and serve hot.
Guilt-free Indulging
This healthy dessert lets you indulge and fight off illness at the same time. According to traditional Chinese medicine, pears lower cholesterol and reduce high blood pressure, while honey dates build up the blood.
Walnut Cookies
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour
¾ cup lard
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl, sift the baking powder into the flour. Cut the lard into the flour and mix with your fingers until it forms the texture of tiny balls.
Add the walnuts, vanilla extract, sugar, and 3 eggs. Mix into the dough to form a paste.
Take a piece of dough and form into a round ball the size of a large golf ball. Place the ball in the palm of one hand and press down with the palm of the other hand to form a flat circle about 2 inches in diameter. Continue with the remainder of the dough.
Place the dough circles on a greased baking tray. Brush lightly with the beaten egg. Bake at 325°F for about 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool and store in a sealed container.
Chinese Bakery
Need a little inspiration before you're ready to get out the rolling pin and start mixing and measuring? Try visiting a Chinese bakery. Classic treats like Mango Pudding and Sesame Seed Balls share space with sticky rice dumplings, foot-long doughnuts, and buns filled with everything from pineapple and taro to red bean paste. All reflect the Chinese belief that no one flavor should upstage any other. Indulge, and you'll leave feeling pleasantly satisfied but without a case of “sugar hangover.”
Yields 28–30 cookies
These sweet cookies are a popular feature in Chinese bakeries. Food coloring is sometimes used to give them a yellow color.
Yields 9 pancakes
Add water slowly until you are sure how much is needed. Everything from altitude to the age of the flour can affect the amount required.
Mandarin Pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾–1 cup boiling water
¼ cup sesame oil
Place the flour in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and quickly stir with a wooden spoon.
As soon as you can withstand the heat, knead the warm dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9-inch cylinder. Using a tape measure, lightly score and cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. You will have 18 pieces at this point.
Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten into a circle between the palms of your hands. Brush the top of each piece with sesame oil, and then place the pieces on top of each other, oiled sides together.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pieces into a 5½–6-inch circle. (Don't worry if the edges overlap.) Continue with the rest of the dough.
Heat a dry pan on low-medium heat. When the pan is hot, add one of the paired pancakes and cook on each side for 2 minutes or until brown bubbles appear (the second side will cook more quickly).Remove from the pan and pull the pancakes apart while they are still hot. Place on a plate and cover with a damp cloth while cooking the remainder.
Pancakes for Dinner
Besides making a tasty snack, mandarin pancakes are served with the northern dishes mu shu pork and Peking duck. In the case of mu shu pork, the pork is wrapped in the pancakes, which are brushed with hoisin sauce. To be completely authentic, the sauce should be brushed on with Green Onion Brushes (page 73).
Sweet Red Bean Paste
½ cup dried red beans
1½ cups water
¼ cup sugar (or to taste)
1¼ tablespoons oil
Rinse the beans and soak overnight in water to cover, adding more water if necessary. Drain.
In a medium saucepan bring 1½ cups of water to a boil. Add the beans and simmer for at least 2 hours or until they are tender. Drain.
Place the beans and the sugar in a blender and process until smooth. Heat the oil in a preheated wok or saucepan. Add the processed bean paste and stir-fry until it is dry. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. The bean paste will last for approximately 1 week.
Yields 1–1½ cups
Use with Sesame Seed Balls (page 271) and Fried Pancakes with Red Bean Paste, or as a filling for steamed buns.
Fried Pancakes with Red Bean Paste
Mandarin Pancakes (page 268)
1 can red bean paste
Oil for stir-frying
When the Mandarin Pancakes have cooled, add approximately 1 tablespoon of red bean paste to each pancake and spread it out evenly. Roll up the pancake and stir-fry until golden. Serve warm.
Yields 9 pancakes
For an added treat, dust the mandarin pancak
es with sugar or icing sugar after frying.
Serves 6–8
This simple treat tastes best with fresh pineapple. Serve as a light dessert in place of fruit.
Pineapple and Ginger “Ice Cream”
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger
3 cups milk
Bring the sugar and water to a boil, stirring. Add the diced pineapple and ginger. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Strain the syrup to remove the ginger and pineapple. Add the milk to the syrup. Freeze. Chill the pineapple.
When the ice cream is partially frozen, stir the chilled pineapple back in. Continue freezing. Thaw slightly before serving.
Serves 4
The flavor of this darkish green gelatin can be a little overpowering, but it works well when balanced with sweet, syrupy fruits like canned lychees.
Grass Jelly Dessert
1 can grass jelly
1 can lychees
1 small can mandarin orange sections
Remove the grass jelly from the can, slice, and cut into cubes.
Place the grass jelly cubes in a large bowl. Add the lychees and mandarin orange sections, and pour the syrup from the canned fruits over.
Grass Jelly Drink
A popular Southeast Asian drink consists of grass jelly cubes mixed with rock sugar. But, however you enjoy your grass jelly, it's important to neutralize its strong flavor with sugar, leaving you free to enjoy the slippery texture.
THE EVERYTHING® CHINESE COOKBOOK Page 24